Motor road-vehicle.



Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I fizyazafvr ward i ar'cofsy 2;! zys g E. SURUOUF.

MOTOR ROAD VEHICLE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 29, 1909.

E. SURCOUP.

MOTOR ROAD VEHICLE. APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 29, 1908.

Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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a Z Z w M Fig I E. SURCOUF.

MOTOR ROAD VEHICLE.

APPLIOATQION FILED FEB. 29, 190B. 1 1

914,201 I Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

E. SURGOUP.

MOTOR ROAD VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 29, 1908.

1 4 20 1 Patented Mar. 2, 1909. 4 SHEETS-SHEI-lifl 4.-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDOUARD SURCOUF, OF BILLANQOURT, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR TO THE RENARD ROAD ANDRAIL TRANSPORT CORPORATION, LIMITED, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, A CORPORATIONOF .GREAT BRITAIN.

Moron ROAD-VEHICLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

7 Patented March 2, 1909.

Application filed February 29, 1908.. Serial No. 418,556.

To all whom it may concern:

respectively to corresponding brackets 13,14

Be it known that I, EDOUARD SURCQUF, a mounted on the longitudnalmembers of the citizen of the Republic of France, residing atBillancourt, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Motor Road-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification. Thisinvention relates to motor road vehicles and provides a six-wheeledmotor road .vehicle, of largecapacity for transport urgoses. anddesigned to avoid slip, the sai veicle being suspended in such a manneras to insure always a reasonable distribution of the load over the axleswhatever be the irregu- .larities in the surface of the ground. The

said vehicle is moreover adapted to becoupled to a following vehicle andto propel the same by driving through the motor shaft.

' Inthe accompanying drawing :Figure'1 andFig. 1 represent the chassisof the motor vehicle in longitudinal section as awhole, the

parts which serve for driving and for the transmission of powerbeingshown in-broken lines, while the parts used inthe suspension ,25'

are in full lines. Fig. 2 is. a diagram of the method of suspension ofthe said vehicle. Fig.3 and Fi 3 re resent a longitudinal 3 section ofthe c assis s owing the parts which serve for driving, and for thetransmission of ,ower in full lines, those used for suspension eingdrawn in broken lines. Fig. 4 shows in plan and to a larger scale, themethod of mounting one'of the double suspension-levers supporting theend of the springs. Fig. 5 is an elevation, in transverse section on thelineA A, Fig. 4 Flg. 6 is aview in side elevation' illustratlng thecompletely assembled -vehicle suspension in accordance with the presentinvention.

The chassis l is provided with three axles 2, 3, 4; the front axle 2 andrear axle-3 are steering axles and are'controlled by the common steeringwheel, the middle axle 4 is the driving axle.

In order that the load may be always reasonably distributed over theaxles, whatever be the irregularities in the surface of the round, thechassis 1 is suspended in the folowing manner, that is to say:'Thesprings 5 bearing the front axle 2 are connected, as usual, to thechassis 1 by means of the brackets 6 and 7 and of the suspension linksor shackles 8. The ends of the s rings; 9 of the by links or shackles 10to bell crank levers 11, 12 jointed means of the chain 30, thedifferential other end to the, axle.

chassis 1, the said levers 11, 12 being united by a connecting rod 37;moreover, in order to avoid longitudinal movement of the .axle

4, the latter is guided by a connectin rod 15 fixed at one end tothechassis, an 'at the I Said rod 15 also acts to keep the driving chaintaut.

The springs 16 of therear steering axle 3 are also connected tobrackets. 17, 18. mounted on the longitudinal membersof the frame bymeans of bell crank levers 19,20 and links 21,-.the said levers 19, 20being braced by the rod 22; the rear axle 3, like the middle axle 4, ismoreover retained longitudinally by a connecting rod 23 jointed to theframe. The suspension systems of the middle and rear axles are connectedby a rod24 which is jointed at one-end to the lever 12,, and at theotheren'd to thelever 19; it results therefrom that when one of theseaxles approaches the chassis, by reason. .ofthe irregularities in thelevel of the ground, the other tends to move away, and vice versa. 1

The length of the arms-of the levers 12 and 19, to which is jointed therod 24, is

such that the middle axle 4- -supports a 27, 28 to the central drivingwheels 29 by gear 31 which is itself driven for eXam'ple by a twosspeedtrain being arrangedin the'gear case 32 and forming a reduction-gearcom-' plementary to the change-speed gear 26-;

The shaft 28 extends throughthe gearcase 32 and controls, through aardan joint,

a shaft 33 which extends to the rear of the frame 1 and bears at'itsrear end a Cardan joint 34; the last transverse-member of the frame 1also'bears a piece 35 on which is jointed a false coupling rod-36 insuch a manner that, as required, it is possible to couple behind thedriving vehicle a following vehicle of which the steering rod hooks onto the false coupling bar 36,- and which takes the power required forits propulsion from the terminal Cardan joint 34. This fol lowingvehicle may have an ordinary chassis with three or two axles.

In the case where the motor vehicle is to be used alone, the Cardan'joint 34 and its driving shaft 33 as well as the false coupling bar 36may be dispensed with.

Finally, if, as shown in the accom anying drawing, thesuspension-springs of the'axles are placed beneath the longitudinalmembers of the chassis 1, it is necessary, in order to have a sufficientrange of deflection, to adopt for the spring 16 of the rear axle 3,the-arrangement as shown where the curvature is reversed.

What I claimis.:

1. A motor road vehicle including a frame, two axles, springs sup ortingsaid axles, bell crank levers pivotally mounted on said frame and eachhaving an arm coupled toone end of one of said springs, the arms for theone axle springs extending in the op osite direction to the arms for theother ax e springs, links coupling the second arms of each pair oflevers, links coupling the second arm of one of the first-named axlelevers to the second arm of one of the second axle levers on each sideof the vehicle,

and means for connecting said axles to.

said frame so as to prevent movement of said axles in the longitudinaldirection of said vehicle.

2. A motor road vehicle including a frame, two axles, springs supportingsaid axles, bell crank lever systems, a rod connecting cor respondingarms of the levers of each system, each system supportingonc of thesprings of said respective axles and the levers supporting the springsof one axle having their substantially horizontal arms extending in theopposite direction to the corresponding arms of the levers su portingthe springs of the other axle, a lin pivotally connecting thesubstantially vertical arms of the adjacent levers of the systems, andsubstantially longitudinally extending links connecting said axles tosaid frame.

3, A motor road vehicle including a frame, two axles, springs supportingsaid axles, bell crank lever systems, a rod connecting correspondingarms of the levers of each system, each system supportingone of thesprings of said respective axles, the levers supporting the springs ofone axle having their substantially horizontal arms extending in theopposite direction tothe corresponding arms of the levers supporting thesprings of the other axle, a link plvotallv connecting the substantiallyvertical arms of the adjacent levers of pended therefrom, springscarried by the of such levers being similarly disposed and having theirhorizontalarms connected to the systems, the points where the saidconnecting link of the systems is jointed being such that the firstnamed axle supports a heavier load than the. other axle, andsubstantiallylongitudinally extending links connecting said axles tosaid frame.

4. In vehicle suspensions of the type setforth, in combination, achassis, two axles,

springs carried by the axles and means for suspending the axles from thechassis comprising brackets secured to the chassis, bell crank levershaving upwardly'extending arms and horizontal arms extending inwardlytoward one another, each lever being pivoted to a bracket and having itshorizontal arm pivoted to the adjacent spring and a link connecting thevertical arms of said levers.

5. In vehicle suspensions of the type set forth in combination achassis, axles susaxles, and means for suspending the .axles from thechassis comprising brackets secured to the chassis, bell crank leversarranged in pairs, each pair of said levers being similarly disposed andhaving their horizontal arms connected to the ends of a correspondinglylocated' spring, a rod connecting the bell crank levers of each pair,said levers as pairs havin their horizontal arms extendedoppositel and alink connecting the vertical arms of the adjacent lovers of the pairs.

'6. In vehicle suspensions of the type set forth, in combination, achassis, three axles suspended therefrom, springs carried by said axles,the springs of one of the end axles being connected to the chassis, andmeans for suspending the other axles from the chassis comprisingbrackets secured to the chassis, bell-crank levers arranged in pairs,each pair the ends of a correspondingly located s ring, a rod connectingthe bell-crank levers 0 each pair, said levers as pairs havingtheirhorizontalarms extending oppositely, and a link connecting thevertical arms of the adjacent levers as pairs.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto setmy hand in presence oftwosubscribing witnesses.

EDOUARD SUltCOUF Witnesses:

P. 'l. SAnEs, L. Bananas.

